When a section of meat is cut from the flesh of an animal, the section of meat will have tendons and gristle extending therethrough. When persons consume the meat, it is desirable to have the meat as tender as possible. The presence of such tendons, veins, and gristle interferes with the enjoyment of the meat. This is particularly the case where the section of meat is wild game.
In the past, various devices have been employed so as to tenderize the meat. There are many types of electric meat tenderizing devices which drive a motor and cutting blades. These cutting blades will extend through the section of meat so as to effectively tear apart the gristle in the meat. Unfortunately, these meat tenderizing devices are very expensive and are generally not designed for household or consumer use. These tenderizing devices are often utilized at the slaughterhouse or in the butcher shop.
Typically, household consumers will attempt to tenderize a piece of meat by hammering the piece of meat. This hammering can occur through the use of a hammer-type device having sharp surfaces thereon. Unfortunately, the hammering of the meat for the purposes of tenderizing is an extended operation. It can often take over one-half hour to properly tenderize a section of meat from wild game. Also, during this hammering operation, the delicious juices of the meat are splattered thereabout and lost from the meat. It is desirable to retain as much of the juice as possible during the tenderizing of the meat.
In the past, various patents have issued on meat tenderizing devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 112,092, issued on Feb. 21, 1871, to L. B. Tarbox describes a meat tenderizer in which a handled surface is hinged to a bottom surface. A variety of pyramid-shaped projections extend outwardly from the upper surface and upwardly from the bottom surface. These pyramid-type projections are intermeshed for the purpose of cutting and tenderizing the meat. A handle extends outwardly from the top surface so as to provide leverage for the proper tenderizing of the meat.
U.S. Pat. No. 158,280, issued on Dec. 29, 1874, to J. W. James teaches a beef-steak crusher in which one surface is pivotally connected to another surface. Handles extend outwardly from these surfaces. One of the surfaces has a plurality of sharp cone-shaped members extending upwardly therefrom. The other surface includes a plurality of receptacles that receive the ends of these cone-shaped projections.
U.S. Pat. No. 282,566, issued on Aug. 7, 1883, to G. W. Ramsey teaches a meat tenderizing device in which a first arm is pivotally connected to a second arm. A plurality of intermeshing pyramid-shaped surfaces provide the tenderizing activity.
U.S. Pat. No. 504,892, issued on Sep. 12, 1893, to B. H. Passmore teaches a meat tenderizing device having a first handled surface connected to a second surface. Each of these surfaces has truncated pyramid-shaped projections intermeshing.
U.S. Pat. No. 573,660, issued on Dec. 22, 1896, to H. C. Hubbell describes another type of meat tenderizing device which has pointed meshed projections on the inner surface of matching plates. Each of these projections has a curved outer surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 715,695, issued on Dec. 9, 1902, to F. M. Robinson shows a meat tenderizing device in which a first handled surface is hingedly connected to a second handled surface. A plurality of pyramid-shaped projections extend outwardly from each of these surfaces so as to be intermesheded when the handle is closed over the other surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,116,668, issued on Nov. 10, 1914, to A. Barringer shows a meat tenderizing device in which a plurality of truncated cones are provided on matching surfaces. Spring-type members are used so as to draw these surfaces together for the tenderizing of meat.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,396,020, issued on Mar. 5, 1946, to F. P. Savage shows a meat perforator. This device includes two surfaces, each of the surfaces having intermeshing rows of truncated pyramids. The surfaces are compressed together for the tenderizing of the meat.
British Patent No. 15,387, issued in 1900, discloses a meat tenderizer in which a top surface is hinged to a bottom surface. The teeth on each of the surfaces mesh together so as to allow for the penetration of the meat.
Unfortunately, none of these devices has been effectively employed for the tenderizing of meat. In the various configurations shown by these devices, the compression of the meat is accomplished without effectively tearing the gristle, tendons, and veins. Additionally, none of these devices effectively retains the juices during this cutting and compressing activity.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a meat tenderizing device that effectively tenderizes a section of meat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a meat tenderizer that retains the Juices during the tenderizing activity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a meat tenderizer that quickly and easily tenderizes a section of meat.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a meat tenderizer that is relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and easy to manufacture.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a meat tenderizer that is quick and easy to clean after use.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.